John Kerry, which was forgettable. At the same event served wine to Franco Harris, who drank red & white simultaneously.
The Famous or Infamous You have Met
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Rode on a ski lift behind James Bond once (Pierce Brosnan).
Was in the same class in college with one of the two women who won the first ever Olympic gold medal for the US in nordic skiing, Kikkan Randall.
Met Pat Buchanan when I was a young man.
Shook hands and chatted backstage with Jack Cassidy and Jorma Kaukonen of Jefferson Airplane (after watching them perform as Hot Tuna).
Had many friendly interactions with the late long serving US House Rep. Don Young.
Shook hands with Golden State Warriors NBA star Klay Thompson back when he was playing for WSU.
Rode a plane with Elya Baskin, who reeked like vodka.
Among others.
Was in the same class in college with one of the two women who won the first ever Olympic gold medal for the US in nordic skiing, Kikkan Randall.
Met Pat Buchanan when I was a young man.
Shook hands and chatted backstage with Jack Cassidy and Jorma Kaukonen of Jefferson Airplane (after watching them perform as Hot Tuna).
Had many friendly interactions with the late long serving US House Rep. Don Young.
Shook hands with Golden State Warriors NBA star Klay Thompson back when he was playing for WSU.
Rode a plane with Elya Baskin, who reeked like vodka.
Among others.
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In the late seventies I managed to be the part time security guard at the Truman Campus of the University of Missouri at Kansas City, which was next door to the Truman Library.
Bess Truman was still alive, frail, in her nineties.
When Bess wanted to visit Harry’s grave, I got the call.
In the full, pressed, blue uniform of the University police, shined shoes, and perfect tie, I escorted Bess Truman on several occasions to pay respects at Harry’s grave.
A Missouri farm boy who did his damndest, got the full measure of respect from another.
About ten years ago America invited the Japanese prime minister to visit Pearl Harbor.
I wondered if they needed more concrete on Harry’s grave.
Bess Truman was still alive, frail, in her nineties.
When Bess wanted to visit Harry’s grave, I got the call.
In the full, pressed, blue uniform of the University police, shined shoes, and perfect tie, I escorted Bess Truman on several occasions to pay respects at Harry’s grave.
A Missouri farm boy who did his damndest, got the full measure of respect from another.
About ten years ago America invited the Japanese prime minister to visit Pearl Harbor.
I wondered if they needed more concrete on Harry’s grave.
Woody Allen, who was filming in London. I was working on the roads at the time, digging shafts to fix sewers and build manholes. The entire job had to be shut down, and all our fencing and stuff moved, so it wasn't in view of Allen's 'masterpiece'. He was there five minutes, grunted and turned his back on anyone who tried to say hello to him, shouted at the staff and inturns, complained about his coffee, and was just an all round moody wanker. Colin Farrell was also there filming, and even he looked intimidated by Allen.
Also met Cillian Murphy twice, he used to drink in a pub near me. Nice guy, quiet. A less well known person, but one of much greater significance to me, was Enda Walsh, who was drinking with Murphy one day. We were outside having a fag, got chatting to them, and we spoke at length about Hunger, Steve McQueen's film about Bobby Sands. Walsh wrote the screenplay.
Also met Cillian Murphy twice, he used to drink in a pub near me. Nice guy, quiet. A less well known person, but one of much greater significance to me, was Enda Walsh, who was drinking with Murphy one day. We were outside having a fag, got chatting to them, and we spoke at length about Hunger, Steve McQueen's film about Bobby Sands. Walsh wrote the screenplay.
Having coffee, I met Harrison Ford "double", he was in my aunt's cafeteria. On the outside terrace, I think the kids that were with him were his sons. Damn, he looked incredibly similar, but I knew he couldn't be the real thing, because he looked younger. Besides, what the hell was Harrison doing in my aunt's coffee shop, having a few beers. That's right, having a few beers. Everyone was taking pictures of him discreetly, me too. And I sent them to my aunt, she went out to see him and she was shocked. This man could not stand it anymore, and said it was not him, curiously in English. As he and the guys who were with him laughed. Actually to this day, I haven't met any celebrities. But it must be fantastic.
Yaz, but he made me promise not to tell anybody where he's hiding.
For anyone who doesn't know who Brian Shaw is, know that the guy on the LEFT in this pic is huge: 6'4" and 250 pounds
Brian is the guy on the right.
You do the math
Played basketball & baseball against Larry Bird in high school. That convinced me I needed to focus on a career other than pro sports. Merry Whitey Herzog, Sparky Anderson and Al McGuire while traveling. All extremely friendly and nice people. Meet Mark Jackson and Reggie Miller in a strip bar, they were both A-Holes. Met Bryan Trottier, his brother coached my Son at hockey and he scrimmaged with them numerous times.
I have met our host Kevin and Brian Levine ....... not sure which side of the famous fence they sit though..... hahahahaha
At the top of my list would Pope John Paul II. Don Reno, Merle Haggard are just a couple of pickers I've interacted with. Wayne Thompson, member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. I spent a few hours with Willie, shared a breakfast with Tex Ritter and so on. A couple of US presidents I provided local security for. I accompanied Barbara Bush on a three mile hike as a guide. She wore me out. Quite hilarious. Too many to list I suppose. I was well positioned to meet the famous and nearly so who passed through or spoke in, Anchorage. Many other performers were blessed with my presences over my career.
The most infamous? I escorted a prisoner from Anchorage to McNeil Island Prison. He'd killed my best friend and mentor. He had a couple of chances to flee. Wouldn't take 'em though.
The most infamous? I escorted a prisoner from Anchorage to McNeil Island Prison. He'd killed my best friend and mentor. He had a couple of chances to flee. Wouldn't take 'em though.
I hate name dropping but I did ask a model if anyone ever told her she looked like herself (didn't find out till later), she said no which makes more sense now.
I actually went to college with Brian Shaw. Our social circles overlapped, so we ended up at the same “events” (*cough cough parties) often.
Met Phyllis Diller at FAO Schwartz as a kid, had her autograph but lost it. Ran in to and talked with Ken Kesey at a Grateful Dead NYE show.
Way too many to list here, but I'll offer a few that had some personal significance.
Back in 1961 my father took me with him to look at components to set up a high end stereo set up so he could enjoy his Tijuana Brass, Beethoven, and Don Ho in the comfort of our new home. He headed over to the Sound Shack, which I recall having some Tiki styling to the interior, and was considered the top stereo electronics store in LA at the time. So Pop's looking over receivers when LA Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax walks up to look at receivers, and the two of them get into a conversation about stereo gear. After a few minutes, Pop introduces me, Koufax shakes my hand, they go back to discussing stereo a bit more when Koufax excuses himself as he as to leave, and Pop gets back to assembling that stereo.
Fast forward to the fall of 1961 and this adorable tot gets picked to be a guest on Art Linkletter's House Party, a hugely popular show at that time. Linkletter is largely forgotten today, but back then, and for decades after, his was one of the most influential voices in the US, an author, journalist, humorist, radio and television host.
Part of the show's contents included an interview with 4 kids, who would be asked for their opinions on a pre-chosen topic.
This time around the question was, "What would you do if you were president?". Linkletter would stand next to each of us, holding out the microphone for us to speak into. The responses were pretty much what you would expect from kids. One little girl said that se would give everyone a "horsie", another piped up saying he would "give everyone free ice cream!". Linkletter gets to me and asks me what I would do if I were president. I look him squarely in the eye, then turn to the camera and say, "I would solve the Cuban Missile Crisis".
Total chaos as the audience erupts into applause and cheers. Linkletter is frozen like a store dummy, mike still outstretched, mouth hanging open, staring at me. Someone yells "stop rolling", and the crew just waits for things to calm down. Once filming is resumed, Linkletter tries to make a humorous response, but I don't recall what it was, and the segment was over. After wrap, we were taken to the Brown Derby for lunch. I had the lucious lulu burger, with fries, and a chocolate shake that was made table side. We also got some gifts, including a Hokie Pokie cotton candy machine.
Collaborating with Ray Bradbury while working on Something Wicked This Way Comes was a high point, and later, the production threw me a birthday lunch, and Ray attended. We ended up shooting the shit over a couple of hours, just on our own. That was a nice treat.
Dinner with Zubin Mehta was fun, helping Henry Fonda with some hardware store purchases, almost colliding with Paul Newman while exiting a parking lot (he was in the right), giving a tour of our little 4 walled VFX studio to Jane Curtin and Dan Aykroyd while making Coneheads, both of them as nice and curious as can be, sitting in the green room at the Hollywood Bowl and discussing music with John Williams, walking the set of the Next Generation Enterprise bridge and meeting many of the cast, while I was at Paramount, are among a few most memorable of many memorable encounters.
As for sightings of celebs? Hundreds if not thousands.
Back in 1961 my father took me with him to look at components to set up a high end stereo set up so he could enjoy his Tijuana Brass, Beethoven, and Don Ho in the comfort of our new home. He headed over to the Sound Shack, which I recall having some Tiki styling to the interior, and was considered the top stereo electronics store in LA at the time. So Pop's looking over receivers when LA Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax walks up to look at receivers, and the two of them get into a conversation about stereo gear. After a few minutes, Pop introduces me, Koufax shakes my hand, they go back to discussing stereo a bit more when Koufax excuses himself as he as to leave, and Pop gets back to assembling that stereo.
Fast forward to the fall of 1961 and this adorable tot gets picked to be a guest on Art Linkletter's House Party, a hugely popular show at that time. Linkletter is largely forgotten today, but back then, and for decades after, his was one of the most influential voices in the US, an author, journalist, humorist, radio and television host.
Part of the show's contents included an interview with 4 kids, who would be asked for their opinions on a pre-chosen topic.
This time around the question was, "What would you do if you were president?". Linkletter would stand next to each of us, holding out the microphone for us to speak into. The responses were pretty much what you would expect from kids. One little girl said that se would give everyone a "horsie", another piped up saying he would "give everyone free ice cream!". Linkletter gets to me and asks me what I would do if I were president. I look him squarely in the eye, then turn to the camera and say, "I would solve the Cuban Missile Crisis".
Total chaos as the audience erupts into applause and cheers. Linkletter is frozen like a store dummy, mike still outstretched, mouth hanging open, staring at me. Someone yells "stop rolling", and the crew just waits for things to calm down. Once filming is resumed, Linkletter tries to make a humorous response, but I don't recall what it was, and the segment was over. After wrap, we were taken to the Brown Derby for lunch. I had the lucious lulu burger, with fries, and a chocolate shake that was made table side. We also got some gifts, including a Hokie Pokie cotton candy machine.
Collaborating with Ray Bradbury while working on Something Wicked This Way Comes was a high point, and later, the production threw me a birthday lunch, and Ray attended. We ended up shooting the shit over a couple of hours, just on our own. That was a nice treat.
Dinner with Zubin Mehta was fun, helping Henry Fonda with some hardware store purchases, almost colliding with Paul Newman while exiting a parking lot (he was in the right), giving a tour of our little 4 walled VFX studio to Jane Curtin and Dan Aykroyd while making Coneheads, both of them as nice and curious as can be, sitting in the green room at the Hollywood Bowl and discussing music with John Williams, walking the set of the Next Generation Enterprise bridge and meeting many of the cast, while I was at Paramount, are among a few most memorable of many memorable encounters.
As for sightings of celebs? Hundreds if not thousands.
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I met the Apollo 11 crew when I was a kid. Actually quite a few Astronauts. My uncle worked in Mission Control
My son shook hands with Prince (now King) Charles years ago. I was going to attach the photo of him then grabbing Charles' hand to inspect his ring. But I can't find it. On my work computer perhaps.
After high school I worked in a combination record/hi-fi shop. One summer afternoon a group of nattily-dressed men, accompanied by a young man, entered the store and asked to speak to the owner. It turned out that one of the men was Tony Defries of the MainMan management organization (who later shepherded David Bowie to fame). The young man was Johnny Cougar Mellencamp. Mr. Defries told us that Johnny was going to be famous, and that we would be selling lots of his records. "Right," I thought, "I'll just bet he will...") Boy, was I wrong!